Battle of Turceni

The Battle of Turceni was fought between the armies of Bulgaria and the Russian Empire on the Romanian front of World War I in 1916. The Central Powers army, consisting of six Bulgarian regiments and two backup German and Austro-Hungarian regiments, captured the hill at Turceni from the Imperial Russian Army, securing a vital point on the Romanian border.

Battle
With the Bulgarians victorious over the Russians at the Battle of Rosenovo on the Dobrudja front of southeastern Romania, the Central Powers also pressed the attack in southwestern Romania, specifically at the western Wallachian town of Turceni. The Imperial Russian Army had established a major outpost on a hilltop in the southern Carpathians, and the Bulgarians - reinforced by a German and an Austro-Hungarian regiment - attacked the hilltop from three sides. On the north slope of the mountain, the Bulgarians secured the woodland trenches and a field battery, which they held against numerous Russian counterattacks. Meanwhile, the Central forces overwhelmed the hilltop stronghold, which was then bombarded with chemical gas in an attempt to flush out the Bulgarian troops. However, the Bulgarians held firm, maintaining their positions in the face of fierce Russian attacks. Ultimately, the Russians were forced to cut their losses and retreat.